Search - Arab Strap :: Elephant Shoe

The strap is where it's at

poniesforchrist | Brooklyn, NY United States | 02/21/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"arab strap's 'elephant shoe' album is now and has been criminally underrated, both by the press and impatient listeners (including some strap fans!)following the release of their finest collection of songs in the form of the 'cherubs' EP, arab strap came at us with something extremely subtle, haunting, clever, diverse, and ultimately head and shoulders above most "rock" music made today...'philophobia' was also compelling in its bleakness and so-subtle-it's-damn-near-silent aesthetic, and this album's songs are equally varied and successful at cultivating the strap's ideas...these wounded, gruff, selfish, tender, candidly honest, humorous scottish boys have managed another LP filled with tracks that display all those qualities and more...arab strap are often criticized for being in an artistic rut, playing out the same tired, slo-fi depressing tunes ad nauseum...these critics have missed the boat entirely...the strap is actually feverishly (and endlessly) creative within the boundaries (yes, all good art should have boundries!) of their style...don't believe me? think i'm a tried and true fan in denial? take a listen to "trippy", "pro(your)-life", "drinking eye", "motown answers" and "hey! fever" consecutively, and then try and pose an argument that arab strap are boring, or that they are in a creative rut...it's nonsense...'elephant shoe' is subtle enough to bear out repeated listenings...from the clubbed-up yet scarily intimate "cherubs", to the melancholy duet "pyjamas" (christ, we feel as if we're lying in the bed between aidan and adele!) through to the final four tracks, which scream variety and different emotions in spite of what you may hear from naysayers:"aries the ram" is a blunt, frightening, bleak, and also touching duet (again with adele bethel)"the drinking eye" glides along on dubbed-out murmurs and near-silent blips and echoes, while aidan gives up yet more of himself for the music"pro(your)-life" is the sweetest thing the strap have done, a perfectly elegant, tender, and gorgeous no-frills song matching aidan's quiet reassurances to his girl with malcom's ringing guitarfinally, "hello daylight" goes in yet another direction, ending the album abruptly on an odd note of loss and hope, with the usual keen eye for detail in aidan's lyrics...again, this is more expert music from one of the most uncompromising acts in music today...it's some of the most "human" music being made currently...if you, like me, are a fan of any style of music as long as it is honest, original and well-executed, then by all means go get yerself some strap."

Buy it

poniesforchrist | 03/08/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Sometimes the best music takes a lot of listens before you get it, other times, it just floors you. The first track on this album, Cherubs, did the latter for me.It has a strong, communicative pulse that makes you feel like you are travelling with the sound. The music arises slowly, but the beat pounds like a dancefloor. I can listen to this track over and over again. It's addictive, in a good way.The album is worth buying for this song alone. Believe me. There are other good songs also, but few have the same strength. Arab Strap sometimes festers too long in slow songs that don't do too much. Yet, they do help function to create an overall feel to the album that is very thick and will definitely stick with you.Arab Strap is a bit trip-hop, but the music and vocals have more of a rock tinge (usually trip-hop vocals and backgrounds rely on jazz patterns). The beats are very deep, analog electronic. Bare, but strong. They don't have the complexity or interesting timings of Aphex Twin or anything like that, but their sound plays a key role in creating an audio imagry that is unique, interesting, and enjoyable.Another good band that has played with some of the same concepts is The Notwist (Neon Golden). If you don't have this, I'd buy it before Elephant Shoe, but eventually, I'd get both. Also, at the advice of another review, I've begun downloading Mediafriend (http://homepage.mac.com/cplayer/FileSharing3.html) this also mixes rock and electronic music, but they seem to tend more toward the electronics. Do they sell albums? I didn't understand the website. The Postal Service might appeal to you too. It seems like this may be a powerfully new, emerging style of music. It's a shame that there is no scene. All the bands are disjointed, arriving at the same musical conclusions without building off the accomplishments of other bands doing similar things (I wonder sometimes if they are even aware of each other).Anyway, it seems that mixing cold electronic beat with guitar and vocals produces an unexpected, pleasing result that has me rethinking a lot about music in general. Listen to these bands and tell other people about them."

Music to top yourself by

Jacob Marshall | Melbourne, Australia | 01/18/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"While not as impressive or varied as their previous record 'philiphobia', Elephant Shoe still has its own distinct charm. It comes on like a Joy Division record made by the producers of Trainspotting and as such its morbid tone will undoubtedly put a lot of listeners off. While on first listen it may just sound overly depressing, careful listening will reveal the subtle beauty beneath the ugliness. Some British journalists have described Arab Strap and this album in particular as music to top yourself by, they obviously musn't have listened to the album's standout track tanned; lyrics that could well have been a great short story augmented by a beautiful trumpet solo and hypnotic guitar. This isn't a perfect album by any means but its good moments make it well worth repeated listens."